White Hat Thinking
Neutral, objective information
Facts & Figures
Review existing information, search for gaps, analyse past trends
Questions:
What information do we have?
What information do we need?
What information is missing?
What questions do we need to ask?
Is it fact or belief?
Blue Hat Thinking
Control & organisation of thinking
Thinking about thinking
Instructions for thinking
The organisation of thinking
Discipline and focus
Red Hat Thinking
Emotions and feelings
Hunches, intuitions, impressions, gut instincts
Doesn't have to be logical or consistent
No justifications, reasons or basis
Consider how other people will react emotionally
Questions:
What is your gut reaction?
What is your opinion?
What emotions are involved?
Yellow Hat Thinking
Positive & speculative
Positive thinking, optimism, opportunity
Benefits
Best-case scenarios
Exploration
Questions:
What is the value/benefit of this idea?
What could be done to make this more effective?
Green Hat Thinking
New ideas, concepts, perceptions
Deliberate creation of new ideas
Alternatives and more alternatives
New approaches to problems
Creative & Lateral thinking
Questions
What are some fresh ideas?
What's a crazy, wild idea?
What else could it be?
Black Hat Thinking
Cautious and careful
Logical negative- why it won't work
Critical judgment, pessimistic view
Separate logical negative from emotional
Focus on errors, evidence, conclusions
Logical and truthful, but not necessarily fair
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